Ryan has built a progressive career leveraging experience with the legislative process, regulatory analysis, and public advocacy to lead policy initiatives and regulatory strategies. His legal training, finely honed interpersonal communication abilities, and relationship with the recovery community make him uniquely positioned to contribute NUWAY’s mission as the organizations first in-house legal counsel.
Ryan graduated from Wake Forest University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in history. He then received his Juris Doctorate from the Tulane University School of Law in 2005 and has been licensed to practice law in both Washington, DC (since 200) and Minnesota (since 2009). A native of South Carolina, Ryan began his career in public policymaking and advocacy in Washington, DC where he worked on Capitol Hill as Legislative Counsel for a US Congressman.
Since moving to the Twin Cities in 2009, Ryan has spent his working days in and around the Minnesota State Capitol complex in St Paul as a registered lobbyist. While serving as the Associate Legal Counsel for the Minnesota Realtors®, Ryan facilitated the execution of the annual regulatory policy agenda for the state's largest private-sector trade association by nurturing professional relationships with countless elected officials and regulatory agency staff.
As a lobbyist, Ryan enjoys working with political leaders and stakeholders to shape legislation that serves human dignity and the common good. In his free time Ryan enjoys gardening and attending sporting events with his wife and two children.